Don Šajn

The atmosphere is worth a million, but even more credit than Jan Švankmajer goes to Zdeněk Liška (thanks to him alone the film never felt tired) and František Filipovský. I confess that I fell for the puppet joke - I kept looking for where, who and how they were being led and I kept thinking that they were beautifully detailed. But I hadn't thought that they were actually that big. (25.11.2015)

Jan Švankmajer's homage to his lifelong love - puppet theatre and old puppeteers, such as Matěj Kopecký. The text is based on the original puppet play of the same name, performed in the first half of the 19th century in Bohemia. The intonation of the excellent František Filipovský as the narrator and the music, which includes motifs from old peddler songs, aim for the most authentic imitation of old theatrical production with a slightly parodic exaggeration ("now I'm dead"), wherein the film highlights the libations of theater actors to their folk audience and the endearingly absurd text of the play. Rather than being Švankmajer's lifelong love for surrealism, the visual concept is influenced by expressionism (details of the puppets' faces). Impressive ideas (blood spurting from a "stabbed" chest, a sword cutting off the facial part of a puppet as a symbol of death), combined with music and lighting, create an unforgettable atmosphere. Overall impression: 95%. (19.08.2008)